I have been counting calories for about three weeks now, and doing the Insanity workout for five weeks. The first two weeks before I began counting calories, I gained four pounds. When I started keeping my calorie level at 1500 a day, I started dropping weight successfully (I have now lost the four pounds I gained plus an extra two).

My problem, I suppose, is that I am not really sure whether I have a problem!! According to the Insanity Nutrition Guide, I should be eating more in the range of 2300 calories per day for weight loss, or 2800 for maintenance. I am a tall, solidly built girl so I can imagine my calorie intake has some room for flexibility but that just seems ridiculously high to me.

So far the scale has been moving in the right direction, but I don't want to totally nuke my metabolism and lean body weight by restricting my calories too low.

I was wondering if anyone else has done Insanity and just counted calories instead of strictly following the nutrition guide. How many calories did you eat, and did you find that your metabolism was affected?

Thanks!

I did Insanity for 7 of the 9 weeks and ate a few hundred calories under what I was supposed to according to Shaun T's guide. Eating Healthy food I just couldnt eat that much let alone afford it. I lost about 10 pounds and was sad to quit, but it was so hard on my knees. Best of luck. I saw if its working for you, then keep at it. But if you start getting fatigued or start not losing then maybe try and up your intake. GOOD LUCK and Keep Pushing PLAY!

Oxy, I'm not doing insanity, but I'm doing P90X. According to it, I should be consuming 2800 calories. I'm tall, too at 5'9". I did a LOT of research (a LOT) before I started and I saw most women were absolutely NOT losing weight on that amount of calories, or with the P90X nutrition guide at all. I bring this up because both exercise video sets are from the same company.

I have been working out solidly and putting my calories between 1200 - 1500. I noticed the second week of it that 1200 was a little low for me. I felt pretty fatigued. Now that my body is more used to the workouts, though, being around 1200 isn't killer. However, I have more days than not that around 1350. Based on averages, I'm dropping about 1.2 pounds a week this way.

I think insanity is more intense??? If so, and because you're taller than me, you may want your range around 1400 - 1600? But I have a very small frame, so if you're medium or large framed you should up that. Not sure..

Basically, I say you just play with it. You'll know when you're not getting enough calories because you'll be dogging all of your videos. And, obviously you know when you're having too many if you're not losing weight. Of course, muscles weighs more than fat (someone will invariably point that out to you), but let's be honest, you want to see the scale move. ALSO, is insanity really a weight loss program? Like P90X, it's probably more of a strength program. So, be realistic about how much weight you'll lose on it. I had to do that as well.

Finally, just something to point out - 5 lbs. of muscles burns about 35 calories more than 5 lbs. of fat a day I think? So, as you're building muscle, it's not really a license to eat too many more calories than you were eating before.

Hope that helps.

Thanks to both of you that responded.

I agree that Insanity is very rough on the joints. I am having problems with my insteps already, and I'm not looking forward to that getting worse during month 2.

And I also think I definitely can not eat that many calories without slipping in some treats here and there... I'm glad both of you did alright with eating less. I think I will stick with 1500 for a while and see how that goes.

Thanks again!